No Fukushima at Oldbury

No to Fukushima at Shepperdine!

Monday, 22 February 2010

FIVE anti-nuclear power protesters blocked the entrance to Sizewell power station today.

Representatives from the People Power not Nuclear Power Coalition wearing arm tubes locked themselves on to concrete just under the barrier at the main entrance around 6.40am.

The demonstrators brought big black barrels with them daubed with 'Don't Nuke the Climate'. Other protesters are also there in support.

The group said they are demonstrating against the flawed government consultation on nuclear new build - which ends today - and the dumping of local democracy.

Police at the scene this morning

Sizewell is one of ten sites nominated for nuclear new build. Together with Hinkley in Somerset, it is said to be one of the two most likely sites for one of the first new nuclear reactors to be built by EDF Energy.

“In order to build new nuclear power stations, government dumped local democracy", said Mell Harrison, 38 from Geldeston and a campaigns worker for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said.

“We are blockading Sizewell today, to show that the government will not achieve its aim to fast track nuclear power. If local democracy is dumped, then nonviolent direct action will be our answer. Any new build will be met with resistance, and this blockade today is just the beginning.”

"The government and the nuclear industry present nuclear power as low carbon energy and a necessity to combat climate change; but nuclear power is dangerous, expensive and does not deliver any significant reductions in carbon emissions. It locks us into a centralised energy system, and is part of the problem of climate change, not part of the solution."

A Suffolk Police spokesman confirmed officers were called to Sizewell just before 6.55am
Police and Sizewell's security team were keeping an eye on the protesters during the first few hours of their protest.

Jim Crawford, acting station director at Sizewell B power stations said: “EDF Energy respects the right of people to protest in a peaceful and lawful manner. Throughout this protest the station has continued to generate safely.

We have participated fully in the debate about the need for new nuclear and we are committed to maintaining openness and transparency now and in the future.

“At Sizewell we are aware that people are interested in the nuclear debate. We have recently held a number of public meetings in the villages local to Sizewell to discuss the potential new build issues here and we were encouraged by the levels of local support for our plans.

“EDF Energy is happy to talk to any group about their concerns about future plans here for Sizewell.

“We believe strongly that nuclear has a vital role in maintaining UK electricity supplies in the future as a low-carbon generator.”

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We urge the government to consider the implications of rushing into a nuclear partnership at Shepperdine without doing proper due diligence on the potential new investors into the Horizon shell.
It should be offering solutions such as energy independence to the micro generators and not playing the whipping boy to trans national investors who decide to move their capital on a whim.